Thursday 31 December 2009

Passiflora antioquiensis H. Karst.



Curtis's botanical magazine, Volume 92

Tacsonia van-volxemii Hook. Bot. Mag. 92: t. 5571.

One of the most striking and beautiful plants hitherto introduced into Europe, easy of cultivation, and continuing a considerable time in flower. It promises to rival the Lapafferia, and even to eclipse it. The genus to which it belongs inhabits South America, principally the valleys of the Andes; and it is stated in Lemaire's ' Jardin Fleuriste' that this species is a native of the temperate region of the province of Antioquia, in New Granada, where it is cultivated by the natives. It was introduced into Belgium, in 1858, by a zealous amateur, M. Van Volxem, who found it in a garden at Bogota ; and I have native specimens collected by Goudot in the Quindiu Andes, in the same country. For the specimen here figured, as well as for a fine plant presented to the Royal Gardens, I am indebted to Messrs. lucombe and Price, of Exeter. It succeeds well in a warm greenhouse, and according to its discoverer it resists a temperature of the freezing-point in its own country.

Passiflora antioquiensis H. Karst. Linnaea 30: 162. 1859

Aristolochia labiata


Curtis's botanical magazine, Volume 70

There are few plants which present more striking peculiarities of form and structure in their blossoms than the various individuals of the Genus to which the present plant belongs. Ninety-two species are enumerated by Steudel in the new edition of his valuable " Nomenclator Botanicus." Amongst them is a peculiar group inhabiting Brazil, which Martius characterizes as having flowers of a remarkably large size, variegated with dark purple brown, with the tube of the perianth obovate or ventricose, the limb tubular at the base, then two-lipped; the upper lip more or less elongated, channelled, the lower one, from a very contracted and channelled or cymbiform base, dilated into a very broad lamina. To this division, besides our plant, here represented, will belong the A. galeata, Mart., A. cymbifera, Mart., A. labiosa, Ker, Bot. Reg., and Sims, in Bot. Mag. t. 2545 (excl. syn.), A. Brasiliensis, Mart. (A. ringens, Link and Otto), and A. ringens, Vahl, (not Link and Otto). To the A. cymbifera and A. labiosa, just mentioned, (two species certainly very nearly allied to each other,) our A. galeata bears a great affinity, as well in size as in general structure; but may be at once known by the very narrow (not broad and cymbiform) base of the lower lip. From A. galeata it may be discriminated by the much greater size of its leaves and flowers, by the different colour and marking of the perianth, and especially by the deep sinus of the great lamina of the lower lip. It was raised in the Glasgow Botanic- Garden from seeds, gathered near Crato, Brazil, by Mr. Gardner, in September, 1838. Plants communicated from Glasgow to Mr. Moore at the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, produced their curious blossoms in the stove during the autumn of 1840 and 1841, and from these specimens our figure is taken. Flowering individuals of the same plant were kindly sent by Mr. Llewellyn, of Penllegar, in May of the following year; also raised from Gardner's seeds.

Aristolochia labiata
Willd. Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 2: 101-102, t. 6. 1809.

Ambrosial gardens, in which Art supplies, The fervour and the force of Indian skies

Why weeps the muse for England? What appears
In England's case, to move the muse to tears ?
From side to side of her delightful isle,
Is she not clothed with a perpetual smile ?
Can Nature add a charm, or Art confer
A new-found luxury not seen in her ?
Where, under heaven, is pleasure more pursued,
Or where does cold reflection less intrude ?
Her fields a rich expanse of wavy corn,
Poured out from Plenty's overflowing horn ;
Ambrosial gardens, in which Art supplies
;
Her peaceful shores, where busy Commerce waits
To pour his golden tide through all her gates;
Whom fiery suns, that scorch the russet spice
Of eastern groves, and oceans floored with ice,
Forbid in vain to push his daring way
To darker climes, or climes of brighter day;
Whom the winds waft where'er the billows roll,
From the world's girdle to the frozen pole;
The chariots bounding in her wheel-worn streets,
Her vaults below, where every vintage meets;
Her theatres, her revels, and her sports;
The scenes to which not youth alone resorts,
But age, in spite of weakness and of pain,
Still haunts, in hope to dream of youth again—
All speak her happy: let the muse look round
From East to West, no sorrow can be found:
Or only what, in cottages confined,
Sighs unregarded to the passing wind.

William Cowper Expostulation

Aristolochia labiata



Aristolochia labiata Willd. Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 2: 101-102, t. 6. 1809.

Curtis's botanical magazine, Volume 90

This is a very fine species of Aristolochia, evidently belonging to the same natural group or section as the Aristolochia arborea, Linden, figured at Tab. 5295 of this work; derived, too, from the same country, New Granada, and introduced into Europe by the same distinguished horticulturist, Mr. Linden, through Mr. Triana, who detected it on the Magdalena, between Honda and Magdalena. As a species, however, it is totally distinct from the one just mentioned, not only in the foliage, but in the organization and internal structure of the flower. The singular blossoms are produced in our stove in September.

Aristolochia cymbifera



Aristolochia labiosa Ker Gawl. Bot. Reg. 8: t. 689. 1823

Curtis's botanical magazine, Vol 52

Aristolochia labiosa is a handsome climber, the leaves being of a delicate lively green and the flowers very large, beautifully variegated, and of a grotesque form ; but its scent is very offensive, resembling that of some of the Stapelias, and not very unlike the smell of decayed fish.
For an opportunity of offering to our readers a drawing of this very rare plant, we are indebted to the Count De Vandes, in whose splendid collection at Bayswater, this plant flowered in the hot-house, in September 1824. It is a native of Brazil, from whence it was introduced into the Kew Gardens, by Messrs. Cunningham and Bowie, the king's collectors.
IPNI
Aristolochia cymbifera Mart. & Zucc. Nov. Gen. Sp. Pl. (Martius) i. 76. t. 49. i. 76. t. 49.

Hibiscus Cameroni-fulgens Lindley






A specimen of this fine plant was sent us in August 1843, by Messrs. Rollissons, of Tooting, who state that it is a hybrid, between Hibiscus Cameroni and H. fulgens. H. Cameroni is a Madagascar shrub, with heartshaped 5-lobed leaves, buff flowers, with five deep crimson spots in the eye, and a very small involucre; H. fulgens is a garden name for a varietv of H. Rosa Sinensis.

The produce of these two is the very handsome variety now figured, which, as might have been anticipated, proves worthy of so beautiful a parentage.


We presume it to be a stove shrub.

The Botanical Register, Vol. 30, 1844

Lindley

Tuesday 15 December 2009

Mr. Francis Masson, one of his Majesty's Gardeners, 1775


An Account of three Journeys from the Cape-Town into the Southern Parts us Africa} undertaken for the Discovery of new Plants, towards the Improvement of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.


By Mr. Francis Masson, one of his Majesty's Gardeners.

Our botanical traveller, in his first journey, which was performed in Dec. 1771, and Jan. 1773, went as far as Schwellendam, a place about 150 miles N E. from the Cape-Town ; but, finding the season too far spent for making any considerable collections, returned back to the Cape by the same road he went. He was attended by a Dutchman, and a Hottentot, who drove his waggon, which was drawn by eight oxen ; the manner of travelling there. In this journey, however, he collected the seed of the many beautiful species of erica, which have succeeded so well in the Royal Garden at Kew.


His second journey, begun in Sept. 1773, was performed in company with Dr. Thunberg, a native of Sweden, who was sent out by the Dutch to collect plants at the Cape, and is now on that errand in the East-Indies. In this journey, which lasted four months and fourteen days, our travellers were very successful in their botanical researches collecting many plants and shrubs that were new, but which were dearly purchased, considering the fatigues and dangers here recounted. And probably neither they nor their plants would have been heard of more, had not the servants been wiser than their masters, by refusing to advance farther, or to venture among the Caffres a savage race, who, they said, would kill them, were it only to get the iron belonging to their waggons.


In his third journey, Dec. 1774., Mr. Masson proceeded as far as the last Dutch habitation, 550 miles N. from the Cape, and then changed his course, going S. E. On the whole, he has reason to congratulate himself on being now safe in Kew-Gardens, escaped from torrents and precipices, from deserts and lions ; and as to the succulent plants and aromatic shrubs thus procured, we cannot help comparing them to the water of Bethlehem, which three mighty men drew, in jeopardy of their lives, and which David therefore, though he had longed for it, nevertheless would not drink, but poured it out unto the Lord.